Breakdown
by XEOHE
Summary: IN WHICH darkness returns and the cold invades, Wolfram is possessed, and nobody listens. Eventual YuuRam. Wolfram-centric.
1. Preface

Just an experiment…

* * *

**"Breakdown"**

…

"_Rain cloud, rain cloud, little blue rain cloud,_

_Wait your turn 'till just after spring…"_

Singing was heard from inside the bedroom doors. They didn't know how… and they _really _wanted to know how… but the eerie singing seemed to float and echo along the halls and corridors, spreading gradually.

"_Watch as droplets fall like lost jewels_

_Wet the grass and make the earth sing…"_

What was previously a soothing lullaby for the princess of Blood Pledge Castle was now a solemn reminder that one of their numbers was lost to them in one of the worst ways possible, maybe… forever.

"_Cool the angry hearts of many,_

_Bursting at the seams_

_Wash away the strong tirade_

_Replace with sweeter dreams…"_

Footsteps rang out in the corridor, drawing closer and closer to the heavy double-doors of the bedroom.

_Please, _he thought as he ran down the hallway as fast as he could, _please just make it all a lie. Make it all a lie!!_

As he drew nearer, he felt more than heard the horror lullaby's singer. _No, please no!!_

With a new burst of speed, he ran the last couple of feet flat out and slammed the doors open in a hurry, panting, he frantically looked around in the dark room lit only by a streak of moonlight from the windows that led to the balcony.

"_Rain cloud, rain cloud, little blue rain cloud, _

_Wait your turn 'till just after spring…_

_Rain cloud, rain cloud, heavy blue rain cloud,_

_Wait your turn then enter the ring…"_

His panting increased. Not because of his run, either… a clammy feeling gripped his heart and wouldn't let go. He easily found the owner of the voice, and quickly approached the boy shivering in a corner.

The figure sitting on the floor had encircled his arms around his legs, drawing them nearer to his body for heat. Thin, bony arms, skinny legs: it didn't suit him. He was rocking himself slowly, head tilted to one side, still singing that song that sent chills down everyone's spine. He sung it now with all the air of a ghost child haunting an abandoned house… not the way he used to sing it to his daughter. The voice was cracked, broken; it was never used. Save for that haunting song.

But the most disturbing of all were his eyes: no longer did they shimmer. No longer did they dart rapidly at the face of danger, blink in sleepy protest, or even sparkle with despair, happiness, fear, peace.

Those eyes now stared blankly at one spot while his lips moved to let forth that song; orbs that were faded, bloodshot and lost.

Dead to the world.

He didn't notice the presence of the other boy. Or he just didn't care. Still he sang, half-mumbling the words in a broken tone. He didn't stop whispering, he didn't stop rocking, his eyes didn't move, still the same dusty expression. Not even when the other boy knelt down next to him in a forlorn expression, not even when the other boy called out his name.

Yes. It felt good to surrender. It felt good to stop struggling, resisting, insisting the inevitable.

It felt good to be…

Crazy.

* * *

"Look at me," he whispered to the buy crouched against the corner. "Look at me and tell me this is just a nightmare!" he said desperately. The other boy just kept singing, rocking, staring at the floor.

"Wolfram!" Yuri sobbed. "Please!" And then the tears came. "Please, please… beat me up, shout at me, call me a wimp, do anything you want, do everything you want, just please…!"

"…come back to me…!"

"_Tears of rain clouds on me…_"

* * *

...

Yes, Wolfram has gone crazy.

I'm not actually sure if I can continue this… the idea is here in my brain, along with 9 other Wolfram-centric tales… only two of them one-shots.

And although there is actually a reason for Wolfram's insanity and a story behind this (long one, mind), it makes a pretty good one-shot, don't you think?

Like I said, just an experiment. Sorry if the song sounds lame, hehe.

Hmmm... one-shot?

Peace out.

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	2. Preface II

**VERY BIG THANKS TO**: **Square-Enix Fan, Hikari, Anonymous, -strange-and-weird-, eclst, Poison's Beauty, obesssionslove2, Knight of Caeli, pikeebo, vegibee, primaaryet, eternal, Lorean **and my little Malaysian **Twillight Bunny (**xp**) **_**for all the reviews!**_

**ARIGATOU**: **KiaYamato, Poison's Beauty, finchj, primaaryet, -strange-and-weird-, Lorean, Square-Enix Fan, obesssionslove2**, and **vegibee**_** for adding me to their Story Alert and Favorite Story. Thank you very much!**_

This, dear readers, for further clarification, is not actually where the story begins: it's sort of… well, more like a teaser.

* * *

"**Breakdown"**

…

"I thought you were stronger than this…" The blond had finally stopped singing, song reduced to mere humming as he continued to rock himself slowly. "No… I _know _you're stronger than this. You were always telling me you weren't crazy before, Wolfram! Something was happening to you… I could tell. Yet you chose not to tell me about it, and I knew you were fighting against something, Wolfram! Why didn't you tell me? I could have helped you…"

Yuri brushed his tears away and scooted closer to the blond, sniffing.

"I believed you Wolfram, I really did, and I wasn't just saying that! I tried to persuade the others… I wanted to _do _something! Snap out of it, please…"

He got no response.

And then the humming stopped. What came next haunted him night after sleepless night: Wolfram's dark laughter.

It was hollow, mirthless, and sent webs of fear to Yuri's skin, clinging to him. "_Wolfram…!_" he whispered in horror.

With that mental grin still on his face, the smaller boy sang again:

"_Splash their blood to paint the sky,_

_The spider eats the butterfly._

_Raid their dreams for screams and then,_

_Do it all over, once more and again._

_Ready the darkness, taste their death_

'_Tis my duty, none other is left_

_I of little hopeless worth_

_Am meant to sink deep under earth._

_Master, I commend my soul_

_For you to take or bore a hole._

_I will come as soon permit_

_When I've finished my slaughter fit._

_Choose my target, blow the light,_

_Begin to fill their graves tonight…_"

The song reverberated around the room, its tones sounding like a dying music box. The blond laughed again.

Yuri felt scared. The song he sang… it was filled with grim death. Whose, he didn't know.

In fear and panic, he clutched at the blond, hoping to make him stop laughing. Without warning, an unreadable expression dominated Wolfram's face and he slumped into the double black's arms in a dead faint.

Yuri caressed the smaller boy, his tears spilling forth once again, dripping on a pale, unmoving face.

* * *

…

Yes, I made that song, that's why it sounds _off_.

* * *


	3. Fracture 1

Thank you to everyone who liked my story and was captivated enough by it to persuade me to do more. This is for you guys!

Take note: if you do not want to see our favorite blond fire wielder in pain, do not read this fan fiction. Oh, but there will be _so _much torture for him in this story! :'(

**

* * *

**

"**Breakdown"**

**A Kyou Kara Maou Horror Fic**

**Fracture 1: Repeat**

"I am bored, Fachtna," he said, drumming his fingers on the armrest of his dark throne. "I want more exciting _game_."

He waved a lethargic hand at the portal that swirled a little farther to his left like an obedient pet. Every now and then it emitted a crack like a whip, the dark vortex endlessly swirling, waiting for the next victim. He sighed. Nothing exciting was going on these days.

"What do you wish for me to do, dread lord?" Fachtna asked in his scratchy and inveigle tone. He, too, was restless. Even the imp's undying, maniacal grin had lost its usual malice somewhat. The little creature scrambled about the floor, fidgety as a dog with fleas; a very ugly and shriveled dog, at that. "I want to maim! I want to torture! I am hungry for their screams…" The gremlin clawed in the air.

"Hmmm…" Mavramorne drummed his fingers on his chair some more. His cold eyes landed on the pile of gold and precious stones, all sitting in a dark copper dish, to the right of his throne. Lazily, he dug his hand through the dish of gems and nuggets, dislodging a few which bounced unto the cold stone floor. His eyes trailed after the two that rolled before his feet, finally clattering to a standstill.

Gold.

Emerald.

It was a sign. A sign that he can stop waiting already.

Mavramorne stood up with a new prowess, like a clock-work toy finally wound up after years of disuse. Fachtna detected the sudden move from his master and panting very much indeed like a dog, he capered about his master's feet as the dread lord walked over to his creation. He looked at the portal proudly.

"I think we've given more than enough time for _him_; besides, I'm getting impatient. I want to make him mine."

Fachtna just grinned maliciously, waiting for what was to come.

"Let's visit our favorite little blond again, shall we? I believe the odds are in our favor, now… thanks to the new demon king."

**

* * *

**

_He wasn't aware of anything else, except the sword in his hands and the familiar feeling of aftermath on his body from using too much fire magic. Then there was blood…_

_Lots and lots of blood…_

_It was everywhere; pooling in deep recesses on the ground and pattering from the corpses spread around the place, bodies with the same built as him. The stench of the dead was awful. He wasn't even sure if he was inside a vast room somewhere, or out in the open. All he was aware of was the feeling of his sword against his hand, held firmly in a hard grip._

"_What… happened?" he managed to croak out._

_Suddenly from his lips escaped the sound of dark laughter, echoing, reverberating. His weapon clanged unto the ground as his hands shot up to his mouth to stop any more cackling from further coming out._

_He was laughing… why…?_

_Because…_

_Because… _

_Because there was so much blood. And it was all so funny._

"_I will make you mine, Wolfram!!!"_

He shot up, panting hard. Emerald orbs quickly darted around the dark room, blinking as rapidly as his eyes scanned the area. Beads of sweat clung to him, running down his porcelain cheeks, his golden curls pasted to his forehead.

Still breathing hard, he buried his face in his hands and tried to calm down. He shut his eyes in hopes of claiming back serenity but the images flashed through his mind like bolts of lightning in a thunderstorm, and he snapped them open before any more pictures could invade his mind and be indelibly printed within. Eyelids fluttering slightly, he erratically swung his legs out of bed and half-staggered towards the open balcony.

A full moon beamed down upon the darkness that settled all over the Great Demon Kingdom. Its light was strong enough to cause a sharp shadow to flitter behind Wolfram as the blond walked slowly outside to calm his mind.

He had forgotten everything about it until now. No longer could he brush it off.

"… no… it can't be happening… it _can't_ happen again…"

Letting out a frustrated moan, he sat down, leaning his back against the wall next to the open arch that led to the veranda, so that he was snuggled between the corner of the wall on his back and the curved stone railings of the balcony.

Breathing through his mouth, he whispered fiercely, "It's just a dream… it's just a stupid nightmare, it doesn't mean anything."

But even with his eyes wide open they haunted him again. A picture flashed through his eyes within only a second, but the image was clear: it was _not _just a stupid nightmare.

It was a horrible reminder: his time was running out.

Wolfram stood up and looked back inside. Yuri was sleeping in their bed, sprawled all over the sheets like some gigantic spider draped in blue pajamas and snoring lightly. The blond bit his lip and looked at him rather desperately.

"Why can't you, Yuri…?"

His breathing still unsteady, he walked to the wardrobe in quick, shaky steps and began changing into his uniform. It was midnight, but Wolfram knew he couldn't go back to sleep again. Not after that.

He cast Yuri one final glance before stepping outside. The problem was, he didn't even know where to go. Where _would_ you go during the middle of the night? Mindlessly, he wandered around the hallways. Wolfram didn't even know why he left the room in the first place. A part of him was frustrated, angry and upset, as if everything was Yuri's fault, and that he didn't even want to be in the same room as the double black. This really wouldn't be occurring once more if Yuri hadn't loved him in the first place.

He knew what would happen if he lost the deal. He had wanted to forget all about it, and he did. He believed that he would escape their clutches and be able to sneer at them in the face and then some, long before his time ran out. But he was wrong. And now everything was blowing up in _his _face.

As he walked farther, he also felt colder. On spring evenings it usually didn't get as chilly as this.

"_Hello, Wolfram_."

He stopped dead.

The corridor had changed; it elongated so much that there wasn't an end to the passageway anymore. Ten paces beyond, the hall had melted into dark nothingness. The torches flickered suddenly, then went back to their usual dance.

A sudden chill passed his spine, and it was as if someone had passed his ear quickly while exhaling a short breath. He whipped around, a fire ball already prancing in his hand. Goosebumps appeared all over his skin.

A fresh, freezing wave hit him.

It washed over him completely, dowsing, drenching him like a bucket of ice water. He couldn't stop himself from shivering.

The voice came again. But there was still nobody there.

"_You thought I had forgotten about our little bargain, didn't you?_"

"Show yourself!" Wolfram snarled as solidly as he could. He managed, but the cold was still clinging to him, and it did horrible things to his throat. The blond narrowed his eyes and looked around once more, but it was pointless.

He heard a 'tsk' in the darkness.

"_Do you really want me to?_"

A fleeting moment of reluctance passed his ethereal features now contorted in confusion and anger, but the hesitation passed altogether. He pressed his lips tighter.

"Mavramorn!!" he yelled, barely escaping the crack in his voice that threatened to come.

Then the laughter came. It echoed and echoed, as cold as the vast expanse of ice that enveloped the shivering boy, and the darkness that lay waiting at the end of each corridor now crept towards the demon soldier until finally, he was the only one left in that dark emptiness. Even the torches were gone. He was standing on nothing but an endless amount of black.

"_You _will_ be mine, Wolfram. You're time is running out_."

"I won't lose to you!" Wolfram spat, the flame in his palm flickering brighter and bigger. It did little to suppress his shivers.

"_Such passion_," the voice admired. "_You have very little time to convince me otherwise. You remember Fachtna, don't you?_"

Wolfram only emitted a near-growl sound. The triumphant chortle was heard again.

"_He'll come to fetch you once you lose our little deal; and I _know_ you will. I'll be anticipating it_," Mavramorn's voice replied in a smug air. "_I want you Wolfram. I can wait no longer._"

_Wolfram?_

"Why can't you just leave me alone?!" Wolfram demanded more than asked. The annoying laughter rang again.

"_Why, my precious fire vixen, because I simply can't. The one you chose to love is a fool, my little Wolfram. But I can be so much better than him. Oh, but I can really be_ so much better."

_Wolfram?!_

"I'll never come with you!" Wolfram shouted. "Never!"

"_You have no choice!_"

_Wolfram, answer me!_

"_I know what you're thinking about, Wolfram._" The blond gritted his teeth in anger, staring into dark abyss. "_'_Does Yuri Shibuya love me?_'_ _Confirm your suspicions, my beloved. But then again, you know the answer all along, don't you?_"

"Shut up!!!" Wolfram yelled, hurtling the fire ball in open air, where it disintegrated after a few seconds.

_Wolfram, talk to me. Snap out of it!_

"And _even if he will… do you really think he'll love you back with the short amount of time that you have? That boy cannot fall in love within eleven days, my sweet. Just do yourself a favor already, my beloved, and get everything over with. He does not love you_ now; _and he will not love you afterward. No matter how long you wait. No matter how hard you hope. And now matter how long it takes, and you_ _know that, Yuri Shibuya will never_, never_ love you… just because you are a_ boy."

"Stop it!" A ring of flames erupted at Wolfram's feet as the hotheaded fire wielder lost all sense of practicality. "I do not belong to you!"

"_You will_," Mavramorn whispered.

_Wolfram!_

"Leave me alone!!!" Wolfram screamed.

"_You will…_" the voice kept repeating, fading away.

_Wolfram, please!_

The fire mage brought his hands to his ears as the flames at his feet were slowly being smothered by the darkness, until it was extinguished altogether in a loud hiss… and then black crawled up his boots, up his trousers, up his waist…

"… _You _will_…_"

Like a feline stalking its prey, the darkmatter finished its creeping, springing fully onto the blond's slim body; it shocked the consciousness out of his systems and took over. The higher temperature that came along with it was much worse. Wolfram slumped towards the cold floor, blacking out. He thought he felt the vague impression of frantic and very warm, blue-clad hands holding him, and a smudge of black hovered ahead. All he could hear was a heartbeat thumping in his ears; rising and falling, slowly, ever so slowly, slowly… then that quick, ghostly whisper passed his ears again, and the dark's cold hands silenced everything and wrapped their claws around his emeralds, shutting them off completely.

**

* * *

**

Yuri sighed deeply, standing uncomfortably on one corner of his room. The double black stared back at the blond now lying on the sheets unmoving, pale as newly-fallen snow. He didn't look too good. And his skin was so cold. Yuri's eyebrows furrowed in concern and worry for his friend.

He heard footsteps outside and immediately opened the doors, quickly jumping out of Gisela's way as the healer rushed inside and immediately started to examine Wolfram, shooing Yuri out as politely as she could and closing the doors behind her.

Yuri stood in the doorway as Günter, Conrad and Gwendal came. The double black told them what happened, and after a few minutes of anxious waiting, Gisela came outside with a confused expression.

"He passed out."

"We know that," Gwendal couldn't help barking. To be roused from his sleep in the wee hours of midnight was surely a grand invitation for a new set of wrinkles. And with his precious little brother now rendered unconscious from who-knows-what, things weren't getting any better. "What we don't know is the reason _why_."

They went inside the bedroom as Gisela said almost apologetically, "I… don't know. I don't know the cause. He was neither hurt, nor stressed, nor did he inhale anything before he collapsed. He was perfectly fine before he lost consciousness."

Gwendal frowned.

"Will… I mean is he… will he be okay?" Yuri asked timidly. Gisela managed a small smile.

"Yes… there is no need worry, your Majesty; although I don't know the extent of the reasons for his collapse, I do know for sure that his Excellency should wake up soon in the morning."

"That's a relief…" Yuri sighed.

"What happened, your Majesty?" Conrad asked.

"He… I mean, I just woke up a couple of minutes ago because the sheets fell off the bed and my toes always go cold in the middle of the night. And then I realized Wolfram wasn't there anymore, and his sleepwear was already hanging in the open wardrobe. I went outside to look for him; he hadn't gone very far, but when I started calling him, he wouldn't respond," the double black said. Then he shivered as he recalled the past events. "There was… there was this glazed look in his eyes. I called his name again and again and I even shook him but he still wouldn't reply. I'm not sure what was happening exactly… then he suddenly keeled over. I didn't know what to do, so I called for help and carried him back here. And he was… well, he was… really very cold."

Gwendal looked back at his sleeping brother as Yuri finished speaking.

"Well… since there's no more we can do for now, I suggest we all go back to bed," Günter proposed after some silence. "His Majesty needs his rest as well."

"I… suppose," Yuri murmured.

"Well then, if you won't be needing anything else, please excuse me," Gisela said, bowing as she made her way out.

"Thank you very much, Gisela."

"It's no problem, your Majesty," the healer said with a smile. "Don't hesitate to call me should something else arise."

Yuri nodded. Gwendal left with a stiff bow and another look at his baby brother before leaving, while Günter instructed the Japanese boy to get a good night's rest for the morrow's exciting new lessons before practically skipping off to his chambers at the prospect. Conrad gave Yuri a small smile and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I'll take care of him Conrad," Yuri stated determinedly.

"I know you will," his godfather smiled warmly. "I wish I could stay…" Conrad whispered sadly.

"Just leave everything to me," Yuri reassured with a smile.

The soldier breathed deeply, but trusted in Yuri. "Alright."

"Oh, and Conrad?"

"Yes, your Majesty?"

"Good luck on your trip tomorrow. I know you'll be leaving early in the morning, so if there's a chance I forget to wake up earlier to see you guys off I'm saying goodbye now." Yuri gave a sheepish grin.

Conrad smiled at that. "Alright then, your Majesty. Goodbye to you too."

"Do you think you'll be able to keep Murata out of trouble?"

"I very much think so, your Majesty. And anyway, Yozak will be there too, so there should be no problem."

"Oh. Hahaha. Well, okay then. One more thing?"

"Anything."

"It's Yuri."

Conrad laughed. "Alright. Good night and goodbye then, Yuri."

The double black nodded. "That's much better." He grinned. "Good night, Conrad."

Yuri closed the door and headed towards his bed. The blond was still. The boy king sighed and once more slipped under the sheets. Probably the only good thing he would get out of the whole ordeal, he thought, was that he wouldn't find himself kissing the floor the following morning. However it was nowhere near a good enough excuse to enjoy the current state Wolfram was in. He was immensely worried. Wolfram didn't just go off fainting in corridors. But as his eyelids drooped down and sleep returned to him, he had no real idea of what exactly had happened.

The last thing that came into mind before he drifted off was, upon accidentally brushing his arm against Wolfram's hand, how cold the blond still was.

* * *

…

There. _That's _the real Chapter 1.

* * *


	4. Fracture 2

If you're an old reader, and you skipped the last chapter, then go back. Because the last one's the _real _first chapter, and it's got some changes in it. This is the second.

**

* * *

**

"**Breakdown"**

**A Kyou Kara Maou Horror Fic**

**Fracture 2: The Second Possession**

He woke up cold. Very cold.

He sat up and shivered. What was wrong with the weather? It was inexplicable. Quite.

There was nobody else in the room. Wolfram swung himself out of bed and let his feet touch the floor. It was freezing. He retracted them back quickly, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Besides the cold, it was also slightly dark, although the room was filled with lit candles. Wolfram resisted the urge to just stay in bed; the window was open and he thought it was the source of the cold draft. Pressing his lips together, he set his feet on the floor once more and quickly reached the wide windows and shut them.

It was still cold.

Cold… it usually came along with…

Mavramorn's little visits.

"How could I be so stupid…" he mumbled. He should have known once the chill started to invade, because there was no way the weather could be this cold in the middle of spring. It was just him. And no matter how warmly he would dress, he would still be cold. Not unless the presence left him.

"Leave." Wolfram closed his eyes shut. It was a bad idea.

The moment he opened them once more, he knew vision was useless. It would have still been the same as keeping his eyes closed. The darkness was solid.

"I said leave!" he repeated, louder this time.

That same annoying laugh echoed again. "_Now why would I do that?_"

"Go away!!!"

"_Oh, there's no chance of that request. You know how I love to smother you with my presence whenever I get the chance, Wolfram. And when the end of our deal draws near, I can have you whenever I want._"

"I won't lose the stupid deal."

"_I tell you, my pet: he will not love you then, and he does not love you now. A few days won't make a difference. You might as well give up._"

"Never."

"_Fine then. Ask him. Ask him later, during your evening meal. My words ring true, my stubborn little fire mage. I grow impatient of this long interval where I do not have you in my grasp. I want you, Wolfram. And I always get what I want._"

Wolfram could only grit his teeth in anger. Before he knew it, before he could even reply, the same thing happened again. The wave of blackness and cold hit him once more and he was knocked to the ground, breathless. The encounter was shorter than the first time so he was in no danger of passing out, but although he had not lost consciousness this time he found it hard to recover his strength back. He couldn't will his body to move.

He lay there on the floor for sometime, panting, the cold finally ebbing out of him although he was still weak. For a time Wolfram just lay there, recovering his strength, grateful that nobody had yet walked in on him.

With nothing else to do but remain still on the floor, he began to think. He hated it… he hated it so much right now… but Mavramorn was telling the truth. Eleven days wouldn't make a difference. If Yuri didn't even so much as feel attracted to him _now_… then he had no chance of winning the double black's affections before the deal expired. It was pointless.

For sixteen minutes Wolfram lay there on the floor, unbothered. Sixteen minutes, he thought; sixteen minutes, he waited. Sixteen minutes, he regretted; sixteen minutes, he finally decided on something. That if the boy king couldn't even let go of his prejudices so he could even, at least, _try_ to ignore the complexities his human upbringing had against a relationship between two males, then what was the point? Looking back, he knew that every single time he told Mavramorn that he wouldn't lose the deal, he knew he was lying.

By the seventeenth minute, he had gathered enough strength to prop himself up, but had not mustered enough to keep himself standing. He promptly crumbled down again, and it took him another set of minutes to stand back up again and keep on his feet this time. With slow, shaky steps he made his way back to the large canopied bed and lay there, pondering. By the time the doors creaked open, he had made up his mind.

"Wolfram?"

Yuri. Of course. Ah, the irony of it…

"Are you alright?" He made his way to the bed.

"I'm fine, wimp…"

Wolfram struggled to prop himself up on his elbows, and the struggle itself was pretty visible, considering that he was shaking hard enough for Yuri to be able to depict at a distance. "Don't force yourself up, it might hurt you. I can ask one of the maids to bring your food here so you don't have to move too much when it's time to eat…"

"I'm fine, Yuri!" he snapped. He was finally able to sit up at some point, mumbling. He couldn't help himself from blaming everything on Yuri, and yet he knew that it wasn't the boy king's fault. He wouldn't be able to stand it if he actually forced the double black to love him back. And anyway, if that had happened, he would still lose the deal to Mavramorn.

Yuri stepped back a little upon hearing Wolfram's spur-of-the-moment retort, and was only able to further his trip to the bed upon seeing the blond sitting up. "You had us really worried there. What happened to you yesterday?"

"None of it matters."

"But…—"

"Just leave it alone Yuri. Just leave it alone."

If Yuri had been able to detect the defeated tone that came along with Wolfram's reply, he chose not to say anything about it.

"Well, um… okay. So… are you well enough to eat with us in the dining room?" Yuri ventured to ask.

"Yes."

"Uh… okay. It's—it's almost time to eat anyway, and I was just coming up to check if you were awake already…"

"And you can see for yourself that I am. Excuse me." His movements were slow as he got out of bed, but he was able to manage himself without falling this time.

"W-where are you going? You should still be staying in bed," Yuri said, getting up on his feet as he watched the blond lean in the open wardrobe and take some of his clothes out.

"I said _I'm fine_, Yuri. If your brain has a problem establishing that piece of information, then I suggest you have it checked. I'm taking a bath. Have a problem with that, your Majesty?" he said coldly as he made his way out.

"Hey! Why are you acting so snobbish all of a sudden? I'm only concerned about you!" Yuri asked, eyebrows furrowed, frowning.

Wolfram stopped at the door, hand already on the doorknob. "Apparently that isn't enough…" he whispered. He stood still there for a moment, his back at Yuri, who in the meantime, was starting to worry once more.

"Wolf? You okay?" he asked, despite the earlier bratty attitude.

Wolfram was silent, wondering whether or not he should ask him right at that moment. But after a few seconds, he decided to put it off until later and instead chose to reply, "… no. I don't think I'll ever be okay. Not anymore."

Yuri could say no more as Wolfram opened the door and stepped outside, leaving him behind.

* * *

"Do you love me?"

Sixteen minutes on the floor. Twenty-six on the bed. An hour's soaking in the bath. Another hour inside their room. It all added up to the time he started thinking whether or not to really ask Yuri if he loved him or not. Five minutes walking down to the dining room, he thought of the words he would use in question so Yuri wouldn't just stare at him like a doll.

Twenty minutes into eating and those four words were all he could come up with. And for a moment, all Yuri _did _do was stare at him like a doll, exactly as predicted. In fact, everyone was staring at him.

"Wolfram…" Günter began, obviously in Yuri's defense, but the blond held a hand up. He wanted to hear it from Yuri's mouth. No more holding up. Greta looked at the two of them expectantly, mostly at Yuri.

"I…" Yuri sputtered.

"Do. You. Love. Me?" Wolfram asked, forcing a certain level of calmness on his voice.

"… umm… ahehe… why do you suddenly ask?" Yuri tried, trying to think of a way out of the situation.

"Just answer the stupid question Yuri. I'll accept whatever answer you might have. Now tell me now, before I throw something," he threatened. "Yes or no: _do you love me_?"

"Umm… a-as a friend or…??"

"You know the answer to that, Yuri." His voice was, by now, slightly rising a notch. He was close to breaking.

"… b-but… why do you need t-to know…??"

"Just answer it!!" Wolfram hissed, clenching his fists together, embedding his fingernails unto his palm and creating little wounds inside his hand.

"C-can't I answer it later…?"

Wolfram narrowed his eyes. "Now, Yuri!!!"

The double black shut his eyes tight and lowered his head. "… n—… n-no…" He opened his black eyes and looked tentatively back at the blond. Everyone else was silent. "I'm… I'm sorry, Wolfram, you're one of my best friends, you're probably my _best _friend, but… that's—that's all…" He kept fiddling with his hands nervously. What would the blond do?

As it was, Wolfram had also closed his eyes the moment Yuri had answered him and had not opened them yet. When he did, he kept them down, not really looking at anyone and gritting his teeth. He clenched his fist so much tighter that it hurt already, but he didn't stop. Of course. He should have known.

_Stupid, stupid… why did I even have to ask??_

"Wolfram?" Greta asked worriedly amidst the silence.

His look of frustration and hurt was soon replaced by one of shock and dread.

It was cold.

He looked up.

And found himself staring straight into Fachtna's face.

Wolfram gasped loudly and quickly stood up, knocking his chair backwards. He took some steps back with wide eyes, and found himself shivering. A couple more steps back.

_No! He shouldn't even be here yet!! _

"Wolfram?!" Yuri immediately asked in worry. He laid a hand on the table next to the gremlin's feet, which he wasn't able to see. Everybody else perked up in their seats at Wolfram's unexpected reaction. He seemed to be staring at something straight ahead, or something on the table, or something on the wall behind their heads, but there was nothing there. The blond paled instantly.

Fachtna was drooling in anticipation, big gobs of saliva trailing down on the table cloth, melting through the fabric and eventually leaving small pits on the table where the dribble dropped down. His maniac grin was stretched wide across his face, exposing all his teeth.

Wolfram kept backing away, still staring. He couldn't do anything else. His body wouldn't react properly, besides the overruling instinct that told him to get as far away from that creature as possible, and shivering in response to the tight grip of cold all over his body. And like the last time this had happened, only he could see Fachtna. And also like the last time this had happened, nobody would understand.

But unlike the last time this had happened, however, there was no way he could escape the situation.

The only other thing Wolfram was able to do, before Fachtna jumped off the table and made for his head, was widen his eyes more and open his mouth.

Yuri and the others didn't see a gremlin on a table, drooling for the hunt, and finally launching himself on Wolfram's face to claw inside his mind, the reason for which the blond was backing away and shivering. The others didn't see the creature sink its long, sharp, needle-like teeth on Wolfram's temple, causing the blond to fall on his back, the bite drawing blood from the blond's head.

The only thing they saw was Wolfram backing away from some mysterious _thing_, finally tripping and falling backwards on his own, probably bashing his head on the ground at some point, the reason for which there was now a growing wetness on his head the color of red.

Needless to say, they acted quickly enough towards the situation, but it was by now to late. As they reached Wolfram he started to scream, thrashing on the floor. Gwendal and Günter quickly changed tactics and inexplicably knew what to do with the situation; in that instead of seeing to the wound on his head, they pinned his arms down, keeping him as still as they possibly could. As soon as he saw what they were doing, Yuri, scrawny boy that he was, desperately grabbed hold of Wolfram's legs, which was quite a challenge, hoping it would help some. Greta quickly ran outside to alert any guard she could happen to pass by so the could offer some help, and to find Gisela.

By the time the little girl had run back with three guards and Gisela in tow, Yuri had already had a small cut on his lip, courtesy of the blond's left boot, and Günter had a few scratches on his clothing, courtesy of the blond's nails. Yuri was able to let go of Wolfram's legs as the three guards came in to the aid, and stared at them in the sidelines, hugging Greta on his knees, trying to calm her down and telling her she was a very, very brave little girl. Greta watched with wide and watery eyes, and when she could finally not take the scene anymore, buried her head in Yuri's black jacket. Yuri hugged her tight, and as much as he wanted to turn away, he found his body disobeying his command.

Wolfram was really screaming loud, desperate to free himself from the five people trying to pin him down. He struggled even more upon finding Gisela in the scene, extracting a bottle and a white piece of cloth from her medical bag.

They were going to put him to sleep.

He screamed again, much louder this time. A very painful constricting sensation had developed in his chest, and it was making his eyes water. He shut them tight and tried to gather as much fire magic as he could, sending a burst of flames all around him, enough to make them let go. But before he could even stagger to his feet properly, they were all over him again, the guards hugging his feet and bringing him down to his knees, Gwendal and Günter grabbing his arms and shoulders.

"Hurry up!" Gwendal barked at the healer.

"No!!!" he managed to scream out loud. "No, no, no, _don't!!!_"

He struggled harder as Gisela started to come near him.

"_Stop it, no!!!_" Wolfram screamed, his voice almost sobbing as he pleaded. He strained against his elder brother and the royal advisor, but the combined pressure of the others nearly suffocating him and the burning sensation in his chest was preventing him from pulling any harder.

"LET ME GO! STOP IT, LET ME GO!!!" Yuri couldn't take it anymore and buried his head as well in his daughter's brown curls. He felt the girl shaking and patted her hair and back to comfort her, alongside trying to comfort himself. What was happening?!

"NO!!! PLEASE DON'T!!! STOP, STOP, PLEASE STOP, NO-O-O-O-O!!!!" The pain was blinding him, and he was no longer aware of whose arm belonged to whom, only that if he didn't fight them off, he would be defeated.

"LET ME GO!! PLEASE!!!! DON'T!!" Günter and Gwendal hugged his body tighter to prevent anymore movement and Gisela swiftly took the chance and covered Wolfram's nose with the cloth, pressing it in. Wolfram didn't stop fighting them off, but it was useless now. When he ran out of breath, he tried to turn his head away from the cloth, but it followed him, and very soon he was able to inhale some of it. Gisela had poured a lot on the cloth.

"… no… no… _no… Conrart…_" He fainted against Gwendal's arms, and at last they let him go, grateful for the sleeping draught, unknowing…

It was the wrong thing to do.

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…

I'm sorry if you're all confused about what's going on… if you're alright with me explaining to you the basics of this chapter then you can just PM me or review or something so I could tell it to you personally without revealing as much of the plot as possible. I'd do it here, but it would be unfair to those who want to read the story normally and find out for themselves. If you don't want to, then that's okay; it'll be explained as the story goes along and hopefully you guys get it. But if it's still confusing, y'all can always ask. Okay?

Oh, and remember, what I said the last time still counts for something. I updated this also because I was getting bored with my other story… bwahahaha. But the other one still goes first, okay? When I get bored with it again, I'll switch to this one, but once more, do not hold your breath for this fic too much, alrighty?

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